


The Purrfect Crime

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Series: Drabbles Gone Rogue [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crime AU, F/M, Ladynoir July, Slight mystery, ladynoirjuly2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 14:25:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12191652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: When Ladybug and Chat Noir are photographed at the scene of a crime, all of Paris is in uproar.  The chase is on for Ladybug and Chat Noir to clear their names before the the real criminals can strike again...or Hawkmoth can destroy the city in their absence.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seasonofthegeek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasonofthegeek/gifts).



> This whole drabble(ish?) series was dedicated to seasonofthegeek, everyone’s favorite fanfiction writer partner in crime, on her birthday. 
> 
> This was originally posted as chapters 27-35 of [The Night Patrol](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11364249/chapters/26193774) as part of the LadyNoirJuly2017 Challenge, Crime Prompt (previously titled "Crime AU", now collected here for reading convenience per reader request. Original chapter breaks have also been retained by request.
> 
> Also: I'm not even sorry about the new title.

Marinette gaped at the footage from Alya’s phone, rubbing her eyes in disbelief. There was no way. 

There was just no way.

The camera zoomed in on the newspaper’s leading headline took up the whole of the screen. “They've Stolen Our Hearts..and Millions in Priceless Gems and Artwork”

Half the class had crowded around Alya’s phone as the lunch break had just began, nearly as stunned as she had looked. Even Adrien had gone pale.

Her brows furrowed. It just wasn’t possible. Sure, it had been a late last night, but it hadn’t been _that_ late a night. 

Hawkmoth had sent out a wicked Akuma that had them on their toes from dusk until dark had covered the city in full. She had gotten in just after midnight and had hardly been able to do more than brush her teeth before she’d tucked up into bed. 

Chat Noir had been no less tired than her when they parted ways. 

“This is Nadia Chamack, reporting live from the front of just one of the homes looted in last night’s heist.” She oozed professionalism, but her eyes could scarcely contain her horrified glee as she disclosed every single lurid detail and image of the stolen loot that the police would allow. “Could Paris’s superheroes truly be behind this theft?”

“The Police Chief has declined to comment, but according to this neighboring homeowner, it’s a foregone conclusion. The pair had been filmed breaking into the one of the homes across the street.”

From the back of the crowd, Rose had gasped aloud.

Marinette leaned closer to inspect the blurry camera image now covering the screen whole. 

“It’s impossible.” Alya shook her head in disgust, the phone dropping to her desk with an angry rattle. “I refuse to believe it.”

“Man.” Kim stood back, shaking his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It seriously sucks when your heroes let you down.”


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien paced in his room.  “It’s an Akuma.  It has to be.”

Plagg shrugged, resting quite comfortably on a cushion on the computer desk.  “The odds are pretty good.”  

“But another Copycat?”  Adrien racked his brain, trying to remember a case where a second Akuma actually happened…outside of Puppeteer awakening the doll versions of himself and a few Akumatized others under her own control.  “Wasn’t the first one bad enough?”

Glowing green peered back with an unrepentant smirk.  “It wouldn’t have been nearly as bad if you had waited.”

* * *

Marinette scrambled around her room, shoving a small plate of cookies into her purse.  “But we need to get moving now.”

“We will be moving, Marinette.”  Tikki floated after her.  “But you really need to stop and think.  What happened to Chat Noir when he went out to face down Copycat?”

Frowning, Marinette halted mid-stride.  “He…went to investigate.”

“Right,”  Tikki butted her head up against her charge’s forehead.  “And the otherwise very nice police officers were very slow to believe him, even after you vouched for his good behavior.”

She blew out a puff of air, as she meandered over to slump back down onto her chaise.  “Vouching isn’t an option for either of us this time.”

Tikki nodded sagely.  “I’m just hoping that Chat Noir isn’t nearly so reckless this time.

* * *

Adrien glared.  “I’m not reckless.”  

Plagg cackled as he hefted the hunk of cheese.  “Honestly?  Who are you trying to kid?”  

“I had a plan–”

“A reckless one.”  Plagg’s eyes were narrowed, tiny paws clamping down into the rind defying him to contradict the assertion.  

“But it was effective.”  Adrien’s jaw set, staring his Kwami back down.  “I figured out who it was that Hawkmoth turned.”

“Sure.”  Tiny black shoulders shrugged.  “Especially since you caused your fellow Ladybug fan to get Akumatized in the first place.  Then you managed to get caught by the cops.”

Blonde brows rose, as his arms crossed his chest.  “Yes, but I got away–”

“After Ladybug helped…and then you escaped only to get caught by the Copycat.”  Plagg smirked, devouring half of the soft cheese greedily.

“I could have held my own if he hadn’t gotten the jump on me.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that he did, kid.”  Plagg’s mouth was still half full, before he gulped it back noisily.  “I just hate to see you get hurt.”  

Adrien blinked, his eyes softening as his hand drifted up to his chest.  That was actually kind of sweet.

“Especially because that means I have waste even more of my valuable energy healing you up, rather than savoring the exquisite flavor.”

“Ugh.”  Adrien sighed, turning away from the smell as Plagg fished another chunk of cheese out of its wrapping.  

He shook his head, mentally scolding himself for not knowing better.  Outside of cheese, Plagg loved nothing more than to get a rise out of him.  His brows knit as he hunched over as he packed out his school bag.  

If he couldn’t go out at Chat Noir, he’d have to find some way to sneak away as Adrien.

Somehow.

* * *

Sneaking out as Marinette was a lot harder than she’d thought.  It was something she really hadn’t had to worry about when she could easily escape from her skylight after her parents must have been sure she was busy with homework or had headed off to sleep.

It was a lucky thing that he parents had still been occupied in the store with a late order.  

She had stopped inside the shop with a wave and a promise that she’d call to check in when she had gotten over to Alya’s.

With a wave and a grin, she darted out of the shop and headed towards Alya’s until she was sure she was safely out of view before dashing over to the Metro.

She was so used to chasing the rooftops that it hadn’t occurred to her what a challenge getting around in the evening might pose. There were just way too many of the customers and classmates on this side of town, and she could hardly avoid them and their questions as to why she was walking on foot and scanning the rooftops.

Marinette was tempted – very, sorely tempted – to call Alya to come along with her, just to have another pair of eyes and for the sake of her alibi.  There was a certain safety in numbers that would have made her feel far more at ease, without the security of her super suit at her back.  

But while dodging her friend at school as was easy enough, where she she nearly every secret hiding place to be had, it was a much more dangerous prospect with an unknown Akuma in the mix.

As she’d arrived at the stop closest to the ritzy neighborhood where her copycat had appeared, she hadn’t counted on spotting another familiar face.


	3. Chapter 3

“What is she doing out so late?” 

Wide eyed, Adrien pushed Plagg’s tiny black head back into the bag, hoping he hadn’t been spotted. The rail car was fairly empty, but he wasn’t about to take any chances. 

He shook his head as he ducked back into the seat, glaring down into the bag. 

Sure. He had taken extra precautions getting out of the house unnoticed, sneaking around with a hoodie to obscure himself as much as he could manage considering the limitations of what his father would allow in his closets. But, he wasn’t the reckless one who had popped his head out.

A talking cat would definitely be noticed.

“But–”

“Shh.” Adrien hissed, desperately tugging his hoodie over his face and tugging his duffel back into his lap. Bad enough if Plagg was spotted, but if he were recognized too–with the talking cat–there would be hell to pay.

“Fine, kid.” Plagg’s green eyes narrowed where they were again peeking out of the bag. “Let your little friend walk alone this late.”

“What?” Adrien’s brows rose, his eyes already scanning the car. “What friend?”

Plagg nodded his head back to the car behind them. “Pigtails. 10 o’clock.”

Adrien’s eyes softened as they met the familiar blue pigtails and her black jacket, he stood for only a few second to confirm the flash of pink pants hidden just below his line of sight while he had been seated.

It sure looked like Marinette, right down to what he could see of her outfit, but it was pretty late to be out and not be headed home. He wouldn’t have dared to be out this late himself without a bodyguard were it not for the necessity. But what on earth would she need to be out at this time of night?

His grip on his bag tightened, as Marinette moved to stand near the doors. This was the stop he was headed for, the closest to the neighborhood with all the break ins.

At least she was on the Metro for now, but surely she didn’t intend to walk around on her own this late?

Adrien twisted his ring absently, watching and waiting the play of the light hitting Marinette’s face through the glass. 

His own mind vacillated between options in time to the slight hitch of the car on the rails. Clearing his own name was important and he had no doubt that Ladybug would find her own way here to do the same. 

But he couldn’t just leave Marinette, could he? Not when it really wasn’t clear just how dangerous these impostors might be.

His bag was already up on his shoulder as the car came to a slow stop, moving just as soon as he watched her step off of the Metro with a purpose. Adrien increased his pace and stride to match hers. 

His patrol could always wait until he was sure that his friend was safe.


	4. Chapter 4

_How?_ Marinette’s eyes snapped out the window and then to the back of the car before she slammed them shut. _How was this her luck?_

Her breathing hitched, as one of her other hands gripped the seat in front of her to keep her balance. She sat up stiffly in picture-perfect posture, her knee bouncing fretfully. 

_How was this her life?_

She dared to look back over to where he was sitting, but only from the corner of her eye before she twisted back around.

Thank goodness he hadn’t been looking up at her, although his brows had been knit with concern. Something clearly had him worried and he had been facing in her direction. Just talking to him was a challenge on a normal day.

Of all the times--of all the places--for Adrien to spot her, to call after her, this was probably the _worst_. 

It was right up there with being in his room again. But out of costume with no way to get Tikki’s energy back up.

Although...her mind immediately de-railed at the thought. 

That was one of her recurring nightmares, but it was the only one that occasionally made her wish she never had to slip out from under the covers. 

Just being in his room with him, without her mouth running her headlong into trouble, could also be really pleasant. There had been so many little moments, whole sweetly silent moments between them when she had all of her ladybug confidence, that had been nothing short of amazing.

If only she could ever figure out how to manage to channel her Ladybug courage -- and her way with words -- into her life outside of her super suit.

 _Focus, Marinette._ She mentally smacked herself, slamming her eyes shut as she stood near the door. _Focus!_

Her fingers trembled against the strap of her purse, her lips pressing into a firm line. She needed to figure this out and fast. Her stop was the next one and unless she was really lucky she needed to figure out an excuse and fast.

Tikki had tipped open the bag just enough to peek her head out, her eyes a little ill from all the shaking. “Marinette? Are you alright?”

“Sorry, Tikki.” Marinette bit her lip, wincing slightly as a deep pink flush staining her cheeks. “We’ve been spotted.”

Tikki peered up just enough to spot Adrien not twenty odd feet behind them. With an audible gasp, she dove back down into Mariette’s purse, shutting the top behind her just as the Metro doors parted open with a pneumatic hiss.

Scowling as she was so easily abandoned, Marinette forced her legs to move faster, hustling towards the exit. 

Maybe she could still lose him and transform before he noticed.

* * *

For someone who was just a bit shorter than he was, she managed to move surprisingly fast. It must have been all of the running she did to get to classes.

Adrien had to drastically widen his stride, leaving him just the slightest bit breathless as he tried to catch up. He reached out his hand, waving it beside her face. “Marinette?”

Her blue eyes were startled wide, when she gaped up at him. “Huh?”

“Are you alright?” Frowning, Adrien tugged his hood back. The last thing he’d wanted to do was to scare her. “It’s just me. Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I--” She closed her mouth, her eyes scanning the ground. “I just felt like I was being followed. Which was a little a creepy.” Her eyes widened, her hands waving anxiously to reassure him. “I mean, not that you are creepy or anything but--”

Adrien smiled, pressing a hand on her shoulder to help her calm down. “I know what you meant. I just was wondering what you are doing in this side of town so late.”

Fidgeting, she tucked a bit of stray hair, knocked out of place in her hasty dash from the metro, back behind her ear. “I was in a rush. There is this big, custom cake that my parents are supposed to make for the weekend and the customer hasn’t been answering their phone. It’s a seriously big wedding order and unless we had the amended contract signed, my parents can’t put anything on reserve.” Her lips pressed into a thin line, her fingers tapping on her purse absently. Her eyes were a little distant, but at least she was talking to him, even if it was at a mile a minute. “I mean, if we don’t have that they’ll need to order the items out of pocket and if the client has to cancel, it just means we’ll be out the money.”

“That makes a lot of sense, really.” His green eyes were wide, his hands buried in the pockets of his hoodie as they walked up the steps to exit the station stop. “I’m just surprised your parents would be okay with you being out so late.”

Her nose wrinkled up cutely. “But you’re out late, too.” Her blush deepened, like she’d just realized what she said and worried he might actually take offense despite the truth to her words. “I mean--”

Shrugging, his hand rose to scratch to his neck with a half smile tilting his lips. “You’re not wrong. My photoshoot went a bit long tonight, and Nathalie re-scheduled my tutoring session for Chinese.” 

“Do you usually get scheduled for this kind of stuff so late in the day?”

“Sometimes.” His eyes narrowed, as he’d waited for her to pick the direction. “My tutor lives on this side of town and...well, I promised the Gorilla I’d check in when I got here. He had a family member that went into the hospital and I told him I’d check in as soon as I got to my tutor’s house so he can pick me up later. They wouldn’t have let me on the Metro otherwise. Not with what happened on this side of town.”

* * *

Marinette inhaled slowly as they turned the corner. She had been hoping to avoid that topic, as it was hitting a little too close to home. She had to find someplace to bow out, so he could get to his instructor’s house to check in. She forced her eyes to widen, to pretend she didn’t know what was going on. “Something happened over here?”

“Yeah,” he frowned. “All those robberies, apparently. It was kind of why I was little worried when I saw you on your own.”

“Oh.” She gulped, hoping he wouldn’t notice how much she was blushing. “That’s sweet of you, really. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He was blushing a little too. She was never more thankful for the well lit streets. Otherwise she totally would have missed that. Posters on the wall were amazing, but give her Adrien blushing any day of the week.

They descended into companionable silence, until a lone police car drove past. 

“Do you think it is actually Chat Noir?” He was frowning now.

Marinette shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest. “I don’t think it is either of them, honestly. Why would they save Paris all this time just to start stealing now?” 

“Yeah.”

She tilted her head up at him. “Why would you just worry about Chat Noir? Ladybug was supposed to be there, too?”

Adrien’s mouth opened and closed, before he managed to find just the right words. “It’s just people seem to trust Ladybug more. The police already doubted Chat Noir in the past, when that CopyCat Akuma stole from the Louvre.”

Marinette almost chuckled. “Right, but shouldn’t that mean that the police were more suspicious of anyone looking to cast doubt on either Ladybug or Chat Noir? It kind of seems like all they had to go on was one fuzzy picture.”

Adrien smiled slowly, his eyes lifted to the skyline. “I bet you they both would appreciate your confidence in them.”

“Probably.” She smiled warmly, nodding to a building halfway up the block with a buzzer and well lit lobby area. “Thank you for walking with me. I know you’ve got to get to your lesson, and I can handle it from here.”

He frowned again. “If you’re feeling uncomfortable…” 

“I’ll just call a cab, honestly.” She assured him, nodding. “I have enough cash on me to get back across town.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’ll be fine. I promise.” She smiled again, watching and waving as Adrien headed off around the corner.

She’d waited only another few seconds to make sure he didn’t double back to check on her before sprinting back into the nearest alleyway to transform.

* * *

When Ladybug alighted the rooftops close enough to the site of the break in on the news, Chat Noir was already there, waiting. 

He was up on the rooftop across the way, but was laying low, crouched behind the chimney as his glowing green eyes scanned over the roads below.

Ladybug landed beside him as quietly as she could manage. “I thought I might find you up here, Chaton.” 

“Good Evening, my lady.” He grinned, his eyes sneaking away to meet hers for only a moment. “It’s nice to see you could sneak away for this little midnight rendezvous.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Not quite midnight, but getting here was definitely more of a challenge than I had hoped. Let’s hope we don’t have to sneak around like this for too much longer.” 

He nodded his chin down at the otherwise quiet streets below. “The police are watching this whole area very carefully. I didn’t dare use my baton unless I had to.”

Sighing, she tugged her yo-yo out of it’s holster, bringing up the image from the news. 

He had leaned over, peering over her shoulder at the image. “Do they really think that is us?”

Ladybug expanded all the sections methodically. “It looks very similar to us for sure, but it is just a picture.”

Chat Noir stretched slightly. “Right, but who else could manage to get up to the rooftops without issue?”

Her eyes narrowed. “It could definitely be an Akuma of some sort, but I don’t think Hawkmoth has ever been able to make two at once. Not without some really special circumstances.”

“Unless his powers have somehow managed to grow.”

“Now that’s a scary thought.” Ladybug shuddered. Hawkmoth wasn’t the type to give them a break, and this was the perfect situation for him to take advantage. But it leaves them both with the question of where the Akuma might be.

Ladybug’s yo-yo chimed with an alert from the Ladyblog. “That’s weird.”

“What is?” Chat Noir leaned in again, peering over her shoulder at the screen.

“The Ladyblog is posting reports of an Akuma across town near the Louvre.” 

* * *

With barely a few seconds of hesitation, they were on the move across the rooftops. The police were quick to notice their rooftop dash. The police cars swerved into the lanes, turning back towards the center of the city and attempting to give chase from the narrow streets below

Ladybug smiled, pleased to see that they couldn’t keep up.

They had just gained enough ground for comfort when Chat Noir shouted for her to stop. She’d landed, looping upwards to slow her landing to a more comfortable speed before dropping beside him on the roof.

Chat--with his better night vision--had caught sight of the far too familiar red and black forms. 

They both looked at each other, frowning, the question lingering unasked in the air between them. 

Her eyes narrowed as she checked her yo-yo, still chiming with new alerts from the Ladyblog.

Chat had his baton in his hands, ready to move again at a moment’s notice. “What do you think, my Lady?”

She wanted nothing more than to investigate, but there really was no decision to be made. There’s no time.

She slammed her eyes shut, shooting her yo-yo towards the center of town as her response and swinging her momentum to propel herself forward as fast as she could. 

They had still an Akuma to catch. 

And a city to save: No matter what the city thought of them at the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

The stars twinkled faintly in the skies above, barely visible above the halos of lights from the buildings all around. The view was picturesque, if you had the time to enjoy it.

They been up here for nearly half an hour now in semi-silent vigil, just watching and waiting.

It seemed oddly appropriate, considering how they both were dressed. 

She shifted uncomfortably, stretching her legs before crouching back down beneath the ledge of the roof.

The red spandex bodysuit was a little much. The fabric itself itched something awful, especially the sections where the black spots had been painstaking sewed in. The slightly-too-tight for comfort suit left far too little to the imagination--and even less room to breathe.

She’d be more than happy to be in their far warmer warehouse in jeans and a t-shirt, doing inventory on their take thus far and packing it away into something nice and safe for their trip home.

She wanted to be home more than anything in the world right now. But needs must.

When she first tried it on for size, he had gaped, sea blue eyes wide and jaw attempting to scrape across the floor, on the day she had first tried it on. He just stood there dumbly until she had punched his shoulder, reminding him to keep his eyes on the maps and his business.

Her eyes narrowed at the memory. Will was being paid -- and quite handsomely -- for his help. Not to ogle her _assets_.

This suit had a purpose. It was a necessity.

It wasn’t like his own black leather suit was much better. She knew from experience that leather was a lot less forgiving, but he had donned it without complaint. Just like he had been crouched down in a similar position they had pulled from blogs and news outlets of the cat-like sidekick.

Had he always been so athletic? She frowned, wondering just how much he had been practicing after their myriad of run throughs so he could hold that position for so long without his muscles aching something fierce. She had been able to outpace him when they were younger, before he’d shot up another few inches and unfairly pushed the advantage in his own direction.

She shook her head as her partner’s shaggy blonde hair was tossed in the gusty winds, whipping around the binoculars he’d had practically plastered to his eyes and tugging at the fake leather ears.

It was a wonder that the superheroes weren’t plagued with similar problems with their costumes.

She tugged a few stray strands out of her eyes, with a sigh. Her own hair was short; far shorter than it had been for quite some time, tied up in pigtails. It was a hairstyle she hadn’t worn herself for many years. She hadn’t wanted to cut it. Her deep brown locks had trailed down to her waist, but was now dyed in the closest color to match every image they could track online.

Her hair had been her Grandmother’s other pride and joy -- as it looked so much like hers when she was a girl. 

But if they got through all of this, her abuela could grumble about it just as much as she pleased for many years to come.

* * *

Crouched down enough to hide the glowing green binoculars mostly behind the lip of the roof of the newer apartment building, Will didn’t want to think about moving, even as much as his own muscles protested the sustained abuse. Even as he’d felt the sticky trickle of sweat pooling in far more places than he really wanted to consider at the moment. He didn’t dare move, lest they give away their position.

There wasn’t much newer construction around that was ideal for surveillance, but it had all been worth the time investment for research.

He needed to be sure they were both safe. He’d promised her Grandmother he’d get them back home safely. No matter what. 

She knew how stubborn Marisol could be when she put her mind to it -- and knew he had learned that just the same all those years ago.

He had been visiting his own grandfather one summer in high school when the old man had ferried them both along to coast to visit his old friend at her tiny, seaside cottage.

He had grumbled, bemoaning his lack of sea legs and working internet until he had met Marisol. 

With those rich chocolate eyes and a sassy smirk that ha goaded his own competitive spirit. 

They’d been friends for those few short summers. Finding ways to outdo each other, racing down the hilly, half trodden paths, finding all of the secret caves along the coast. His grandfather had chuckled while her Grandmother, Isabel had looked on in fond amusement. They would set challenges for them both, ones they grew in increasing complexity.

He had easily grown bored at school, but these challenges had felt more real than anything school had ever even suggested. He’d loved it, eagerly looking forward to the trips, the thrill of the impending competition, and the stories of the old days.

Eventually, perhaps in that second summer, he had pieced together that neither his grandfather nor abuela Isabel had always acted on the “right” side of the law. It made the tales -- and their daring escapes -- all the more fascinating to his young ears.

It was a large part of what had driven him into engineering in the first place. His Grandfather had tinkered with cars and had even left a few with his lovely old house when he’d passed just after he had graduated. Now, he did rather staid and boring contract work remotely, making designs for large corporations and tinkering with electronics for fun. It had been enough for a comfortable existence, which suited him just fine.

Those summers had faded into little more than one of his fondest childhood memories. Until they day Marisol turned up on his front porch, seeking his grandfather’s aid, unaware that he had passed several years prior.

Those somber, brown eyes goaded him into taking up a challenge he’d never dreamed he would even consider, laying half a plan at his feet.

His mind raced, filling in the gaps as if those summers had never ended. As if his grandfather was still there with that twinkle in his eyes, watching at that tiny kitchen table in eager anticipation of whatever half cocked plan he could cook up.

But now he had far more practice in planning.

He shook his head, blinking and resting his eyes briefly. 

Telling Marisol no had never occurred to him. It had never really been an option in his mind. She still had Isabel there for just as much time as she could keep her healthy and comfortable.

As uncomfortable as his suit was, it would afford them plausible deniability. At least until they could make their grand escape from Paris. 

He had studiously done his homework, studying the news reports, the photographs of the damage before Ladybug’s nebulous powers set everything to rights. They’d cross-referenced maps, comparing sites that had been frequented but Paris’s superhero problem with the houses they held items worth the risk of entry.

She had already had list after list of items that might fetch a reasonable enough price through a fence, one of the many of Isabel’s contacts Marisol had asked for little favors. It was her family’s business. Her grandmother’s family business anyways. Her web of contacts were vast, if mostly aging.

She’d reached out, desperate for any support.

She’d gotten someone who were willing to fence the goods once they’d gotten out of France, but she needed another pair of hands. Especially considering, Paris’s pest infestation.

No one had dared to touch the artwork in more than a year, what with superheroes running around on their rooftops and saving the day.

Run of the mill thieves were gun-shy, and homeowners were overly sure of their security systems.

Marisol was always the best talents at sneaking into the most secret, well-hidden hiding places. He had been convinced all those years ago that her grandmother kept teaching her trade secrets, but now he was grateful for it.

He sighed, mentally quashing away his doubts. This was her best option.

Their best option, really.

“What’s wrong?”

Will looked up, meeting her eyes. “Just resting my eyes.”

She shifted down onto her knees at his side, her phone screen illuminated with alerts. “Do you think we’re in the wrong place?”

He shook his head. “With everything we researched, Ladybug and Chat Noir were sure to investigate the scene of the crime. Since most of the these supernatural attacks occurred largely in the central part of town, they’d basically need to come close along these parallel roads to get where they would be headed.”

* * *

She stretched her arms out, dropping her head onto the ledge and scowling into the night.

They couldn’t safely move until the daring do-gooders had showed. If Will was right, it was just a matter of time before the two would come racing past.

And she wasn’t a patient person by nature. Outside of her more deft hand at lock-picking, that was usually more of his expertise.

“Boys and their toys,” she’d muttered fondly, rolling her eyes. 

“Useful toys, though.” His dark blue eyes were anxious, tapping the outside of the case as he handed his pair over to her, nodding his head at a building across the way. “I do believe we have guests.”

Blinking, she held out her hand for the expensive bit of night vision binoculars, pressing them to her face. The Black outline was barely clear against the darkness, even with the night vision goggles. He stood out on a ledge some ten or so block away, leaning towards them on the ledge. “He's a curious cat, isn't he?”

“Seems like it.” he chuckled softly.

But as she could barely make the big cat out against the night, Ladybug lit up like a Christmas tree. Marisol smiled. “Think they’ll come out and play?”

“Honestly?” She could hear the thread of anxiety in his voice. “I kind of hope not.”

Her eyes hadn’t strayed from the mirror image of red and black across the way. 

It was a tense minute, waiting and watching to see if they would come for them.

Marisol steadied her breathing. She hadn’t figured they would be spotted, but now was no time to panic. 

They needed to be ready to move. To make use of the suitcase of toys that Will had brought along.

Clearly their superhero powers were a bit more than even the newspapers scope had indicated.

Luckily, the other lady in red was tugging on her partner’s tail, urging him to their civic duty.

“You’re that afraid?” She challenged, shifting the binoculars to monitor the pair move off towards the Eiffel Tower. “We planned this all very carefully. Remember?”

His brow furrowed, his dark blue eyes glancing around the rooftop uneasily as she huddled down beside him. 

“We did our homework, sure. But I have my doubts about these guys and their powers.” 

She exhaled turning her eyes back to Will. 

His gloved hands gripped the ledge that was mostly masking them from view, his shoulder tensing in a rather distracting way under all that leather.

She had intended to talk him through his nerves.

So why were hers acting up now?

* * *

“I don’t like what I can’t explain.” He grumbled. “If I can’t explain it, I’m not sure I can work around it.”

“So you’re saying we can’t pull this off?” She grew irritated, perhaps even a little belligerent. It didn’t bode well for trying to do anything else tonight.

Will crossed his arms, wondering absently about the functionality was of the tail as the wind kept smacking the small strap of leather into his leg. 

He was watching her, assessing.

He felt like he always been watching her. Not that she’d ever noticed. He certainly hadn’t when he was younger.

“I’m just saying now might not be a bad time to cut our losses.” He was mentally doing the math. If she didn’t pay him his share, she’d have more than enough for what she’d need.

But maybe he’d be able to convince her to help him on another job.

To see where she might let things go from there.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “We need just a little bit more. Otherwise all of this won’t have been worth the effort.”

* * *

His blue eyes were far more serious than usual, narrowing as they locked with hers. He didn’t grab for her hand. He didn’t dare.

He just spoke evenly, his voice the slightest bit deeper than normal. “And we will. Just maybe not tonight.”

Their relationship was a professional one. There was a solid, heavy line that she had never dared to cross.

But when every other contact she’d known had bowed out, he was still there. That meant far more to her than she could say. When she had been at her wit’s end, desperate for any help she could come by, he had stepped up.

And when he’d looked at her like that, she sometimes got to wondering what exactly he was getting out of this deal outside of the thrill of the challenge.

She’d seen the instant that the glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes, clear even with the obstruction of the black half mask.

“Also.” His grin was infectious. “Not worth the effort? Have you seen how good I look in this outfit.”

She smirked, cocking her hip as she leaned over to replace the binoculars into the cushioned case. “I believe that’s my line.”

She felt his eyes pass over her quickly, but the urge to blush was quickly quashed by his words.

“Seriously, Marisol?” Will practically purred, channeling every snippet of footage of the feline superhero she knew he’d watched until it had become second nature. He smirked, leaning his lanky form back against the ledge. “Did you not see the ears? I’m way more adorable.”


	6. Chapter 6

Roger Raincomprix, one of Paris’s finest, stood arms akimbo torn between pride and disbelief, watching from a safe distance as Ladybug and Chat Noir still carried out their sacred duty to protect Paris -- no matter what accusation had been levied against them. 

He himself had been Akumatized. He knew just how easy it was to lose to Hawkmoth’s sway, when the villain pressed his advantage.

But it meant he had also stood with incredible powers, going toe to toe with Paris’s super heroes. Their powers were unbelievable.

The sheer fact that they had Paris’s full confidence gave them the opportunity to be Paris’s perfect criminals. And just a week ago, who would suspect the heroes of Paris would spend their off hours raiding some of the finest homes in town as they chased across the rooftops?

But a simple image had been enough to inspire doubts in so many mind.

Roger shook his head. He was a firm believer in innocent until guilt was proven.

He swore to himself that would stand vigil each night, watching and waiting until circumstances bore out the truth of the matter.

His eyes narrowed as the pair chased off into the darkness after an Akuma, ducking down into his police vehicle with no hesitation. Snagging his now cold coffee, he took a fortifying sip as he’d tugged the seat belt over his lap.

Absently, he’d wondered if he ought to phone his wife. It looked like it would be another long night in Paris.

* * *

Ladybug was still half breathless as she released the purified butterfly into the sky from the relative safety of the roof. This Akuma had given them the runaround -- literally forcing them to scramble over the whole of Paris.

Chat was still breathing heavily as he walked over to where she stood, mere inches separating their shoulders. The big question loomed heavily in the air, but she could read it clearly in his glowing emerald eyes.

The night was not nearly so silent, as the first chime echoed beside her ear.

Frowning, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder “We can go back, but we definitely need to re-charge first.”

Chat Noir nodded, his eyes only leaving hers for an instant to mark her gloved hand falling at his shoulder. “We’re sure to have friends along for the ride.”

She shook her head, the police cars below had gone silent but the flickering blue lights still glimmered for blocks surrounding their location. “I hate that this has made them not trust us. Just getting out of the house has become a challenge. I never appreciated my powers more than when I couldn’t use them. For even some of the little thing”

Chat’s brows furrowed, his posture slightly stooped over his extended his baton. “I know what you mean. How are we supposed to keep Paris safe if we can’t get around safely?”

Ladybug exhaled heavily, frowning down at the streets below. “It’s not the first time they’ve stopped trusting us. I’m sure it won’t be the last. Not with as much as Hawkmoth loves to exploit doubts and high emotions.”

“I’m just not happy about this. It’s bad enough that they are doubting me again. But how could they doubt you?”

Her gaze softened. Squeezing his shoulder gently, she murmured. “We’ll get through this together. We always do.”

Ladybug smiled as Chat’s eyes softened, the slow upward turn of his lips echoing hers. His claws so careful nears her suit, as his hand covered hers atop his shoulder. “We always will.”

They both winced as his ring chimed through the silence.

Shaking his head, Chat Noir moved first. “Meet you back at the building we spotted earlier?”

Ladybug grinned as her yo-yo snagged a building in the opposite direction. “Just as soon as I can get there.”

* * *

The sirens of police cars reverberated through streets below, just as soon as they had spotted him again. 

Chat paced the roof anxiously, waiting and second-guessing himself. He was so sure it was this roof where he had spotted their copycat and bug. Had he been wrong? Had he misjudged the position?

Rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes, Chat forced himself to slow down, mentally replaying their scramble across the rooftops of town. 

He was so worn down by the added stress of the situation, that he didn’t have his usual focus. And that was something he really couldn’t afford.

Even his Kwami had noticed how well he hadn’t been sleeping lately. Plagg was surprisingly cooperative, even quieter than normal as he’d pleasantly accepted every bit of cheese Adrien could sneak from the kitchens when they’d dragged in from patrol each night.

He was just lucky the circles under his eyes weren’t stark enough that the make up artists couldn't fix it with a fair dab of concealer. If Nathalie found out, there would be questions that he really didn’t have a good answer to yet.

Chat Noir stretched, slipping his eyes shut to better acclimate them to the dark. Dropped to all fours, his eyes scanning the ground at much closer distance, methodically covering the whole of the rooftop.

His Lady would be here soon. Even if their doppelgangers had fled the scene, he wanted to have something to show for her decision to return with him.

She was trying so hard to be more positive to be more upbeat, but he could see that the tell tale signs that Paris’s censure was wearing heavily on her too. 

Ladybug talked a good game; she always did. If he knew her any less, he wouldn’t be worried. 

But, she wasn’t nearly as energetic as she was usually. The blue of her eyes carried a little less of her usual spark. Her movements were a little more hesitant, and it was causing the battles to take a little longer than necessary. Even her banter had grown a little more reserved, a little less sure than usual.

Ladybug needed this to be resolved just as much as he did, even if she felt the need to put on a brave face.

When his scan of the roof came up empty, Chat Noir’s shoulders slumped as he collapsed back against the pavement, his eyes scanning up into the stars. 

He couldn’t bear the thought of letting her down. This was all just so different than they were used to with Hawkmoth. 

Whoever or whatever these two were, they were extremely careful.

And unless Hawkmoth’s powers had changed, they certainly were not Akuma.


	7. Chapter 7

Will closed his eyes, hitting his back against the door and tossing the hotel keycard onto the end table by the door. It hadn’t taken much to convince Marisol to move off the roof.

Tonight had been close. Too close for his own comfort.

There was just something about those two, even as far off as they had been some 40-50 meters away, that was setting off all his warning bells in way it hadn’t done when he was examining them purely by footage.

He suspected that she was just as anxious as he was. She just seemed reluctant to show it.

He knew she didn’t have the experience that Isabel had. But he still wasn’t entirely sure how much she did have.

She had wanted to set up all the gadgets, but that might arouse suspicions. 

He suggested they pretend to make out near the window until they spotted the heroes.

Rolling those dangerous dark eyes, she picked up the pair of binoculars. But not before he’d missed the hint of mischief as she shook her head, shooting him a half-hearted glare before turning back to the window.

“Well, if you’re all that broken up about it.” he grinned. “We don’t have to pretend…”

Marisol just snorted, tearing her eyes away from the rooftop across the way just long enough to raise her eyes up to the sky. “You wish.”

Will chuckled, padding over to the shared bathroom. “Shout when you spot them and I’ll be back out.”

“Mmmhmm.”

He didn’t let his face fall until the door closed behind him.

* * *

Marisol watching and waiting. 

But not always through her binoculars. She watched the door close behind him.

WIll was far too anxious. They were clever to be sure. But she could tell when he was just putting up a brave front. He got chatty -- and flirty -- it as a means to quash his own nervousness. The silence left him to thinking. And worrying.

She sighed. She didn’t want him to worry. Worrying was her job. She was far more practiced in keeping a level head.

Besides, she was asking a lot of him. Despite all their games as kids, this was not his area of expertise. 

He had been her absolute last resort. And honestly she couldn’t have asked for a better partner in this.

Sure enough, there they were. She called him back out, looking at the heroes side by side as the chatted and parted off into the night.

The heroes had come out empty handed, but they would be watching for them for sure.

Which meant she’d have to put Plan B into motion, putting every good bit of advice she’d been given into practice.

* * *

Ladybug paced the roof of Notre Dame.

At least that was what his phone alert was telling him when it vibrated on his desk. Adrien didn’t hesitate, pulling Plagg into a transformation mid-bite.

With as challenging as it was escaping the house unnoticed these days, Chat wouldn’t have known except that the Ladyblog had caught wind -- via the police band radio -- and sent out an alert.

He scrambled, vaulting up onto the rooftops and scrambled as fast as he could to get over to her. 

Everything -- the Akuma and their doppelgangers -- all of it had mysteriously stopped.

There hadn’t been an Akuma attack, hadn’t been a reported robbery in nearly a week.

That should have been an incredible accomplishment. They hadn’t gotten the chance to truly rest up for more than a day in some weeks.

Instead, he was just restless. The police were still chasing them from the ground and from the air, which just meant they had to run for longer in order to lose the tail safely sneak back in at home.

He wasn’t sure that Ladybug was faring much better.

But if he didn’t get there soon, he’d miss his chance to find out before the police chased her off.

* * *

As bad as the general public was, Adrien was sure that the classroom was actually worse.

Adrien frowned, hoping the distraction would hide his own yawn. Missing his Lady had been bad enough; missing sleep because he was worried and because she hadn’t stayed transformed long enough for him to try to make contact was worse.

“Daddy was even thinking about paying Ladybug and Chat Noir so they wouldn’t have to resort to a life of crime.”

Alya grit her teeth. “Honestly, how could you doubt either of them?” 

“Well,” Chloe crossed her arms over her chest,” I still have my doubts about Ladybug, but I have to wonder about Chat Noir.”

Marinette chimed in, scowling over at Chloe. “What are you even talking about?”

Chloe’s eye narrowed as she fussed with her hair. “I’m sure Chat Noir was the bad influence there. How else could Ladybug have fallen so far?”

Marinette’s hands hit the desk, the echo drawing his attention back to her -- and her flashing blue eyes. Her arm gestured wildly. “Hasn’t Chat Noir helped you a lot in the past. Hasn't he helped everyone in this room? And done it without complaint right at Ladybugs side. Honestly, how could you doubt him?”

Chloe is suitably chastised but still scowling. “Daddy knows very well what kind of people Ladybug and Chat Noir are. But there is evidence that there were at the crime scene.” She arched a brow, tapping Sabrina on the shoulder. “Tell them, Sabrina.”

“The photo from the neighbor is definitely real.” Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest, looking mildly uncertain. “It’s why my Dad has to keep going on patrol each night.”

Alya rolled her eyes. “But that photo was really grainy. You could barely make out any details.”

“Or it could just be someone who looks a lot like them.” Adrien schooled his face to be as impassive as he could manage, although there was the slightest bit of pinch and tension around his eyes.

“Right!” Marinette flashed an appreciative grin at him, before turning back on Chloe. “I’m sure there are plenty of people who could afford to commission costumes that look awfully like there. Even I could do a reasonable enough job on the costumes given enough time and good, quality materials.”

Chloe’s brows furrowed, as Sabrina patted her shoulder.

Adrien had to bite his lip to keep from chuckling aloud. It wasn’t exactly common knowledge that the two of them both already played dress up from time to time.

“So,” Marinette’s smile was the endearingly cocky, not-so-secretly pleased that she managed to land a hit against Chloe’s wild assertions -- even if she couldn’t possibly know how true they struck. “Between all of that and all the Akuma we’ve seen, doesn’t it occur to you that there might actually be something weird might be going on?”

* * *

It was a far more tense situation than he had liked, but Marisol’s instincts had been right. Waiting gave them opportunity. 

The police were so focused on the superheroes, that even the public was flooding their tip lines, taking pictures and sending the superheroes scrambling.

If Ladybug and Chat Noir were trying to find them to vindicate themselves, it would certainly be an exercise in futility.

They had even managed to sneak the goods they had dutifully re-packed into smaller containers that could be dutifully removed from Paris in a small vendor delivery truck. 

Will tugged on his black leather gloves, resting beside the camera that he had set to re-loop the prior 10 minutes of feed and checking over his gear one last time..

He had tried to talk her down, promising that he himself would cover the rest out of his own pocket if it was needed.

But Marisol wouldn’t hear of it. She was just so _stubborn_. 

Will couldn’t very well let her try to do all of this alone. 

Not while the superhero duo were almost certain to pounce.


	8. Chapter 8

Marinette dropped back onto her bed, breathless from running to Alya’s and then straight back home.

She was breathing heavily from the exertion, but the widest smile split her face. Finally, finally, they had a plan. 

* * *

She hadn’t been nearly so happy when Chat Noir had dropped onto her balcony not a full hour ago.

It was still before the sun was down, and she freaked out that he might be spotted and invited him inside...against her better judgement. She still had the posters on the wall and she knew all too well that Chat Noir had a tendency to tease her alter ego.

Luckily, her partner was a bit preoccupied. His feline ears drooped in concert with with his shoulders as he leaned against the wall. “I need to ask a favor, Princess. I know Ladybug trusts you, and I heard from a friend that you don’t believe Chat Noir and Ladybug were behind the thefts.”

Her brows rose at that. It had to have been someone else in the class. Maybe Adrien? She squealed internally at the thought, as she grinned up at her partner. “That’s right. Well, about what I believe of course. And I’m glad that Ladybug trusts me.”

“Right.” He scratched the back of his head, starting to pace. “I’m not really sure where else to go if you can’t help, but this whole mess has made it nearly impossible to reach her. I just missed Ladybug yesterday when she was out.” 

Marinette bit the inside of her lip, widening her eyes innocently. “And you can’t just call her?”

Green eyes narrowed to the floor. “Not when she isn’t transformed, too. I was wondering if you had any means to contact Ladybug?” 

Marinette frowned. How to play this? “Well, she’ll sometimes stop on my balcony, too. Especially when you both were doing more regular patrols.”

“That’s great!” His face lit up, as his claws dug into the small leather pouch attached to his belt. “Would you mind if I left this out on your balcony with a note? I can always come back and check to see if she’d picked it up.”

“Sure.” She shook her head fondly, as he bounced on the balls of his feet and handed her one of the phones after checking the screen, putting the other two back in. “So I should put this up for her?” 

“Nope!” He beamed eagerly, his ears twitching atop his head as he set himself back up the ladder to her balcony. “But I do have one more favor to ask of you.”

* * *

Breathing a little bit easier now, Marinette trudged up the stairs back up to the balcony.

Alya had been delighted with her a burner phone. On the slightest whiff of a hint of Ladybug and Chat Noir being spotted, they would actually come into action. She would do her regular call outs if an Akuma appeared, but these pre-programmed phones would allow them to contact each other and move out to the appropriate location.

They both would owe her a whole series of exclusive interviews once this whole mess was over.

Peering out through the balcony exit, she grinned as she spotted the phone he had left for her Ladybug. 

She pulled herself up, making sure the coast was clear of all curious black cats before she’d opened the phone screen.

There were only the two contacts pre-programmed in. And one message.

Marinette’s eyes softened as her hand fell over her smiling lips.

_“We’ll get through this together, my Lady. Cat’s Honor.”_

* * *

Will shook his head, ruefully. They had cracked open the safe and were loading the items out when his version of Chat Noir’s baton flashed green.

He had heard that Chat Noir was supposed to be unlucky. Perhaps he had just brought this all on himself just by wearing the outfit.

Marisol!” he hissed, nodding to the baton.

Her eyes widened, hands moving faster to pack things away.

“Leave it.”

She scowled, but agreed packing away what she had in her hands as they scrambled to the window.

A run in with the superheroes was the absolute last thing they needed, but if his gear had failed and they had been spotted then the police were probably just about to break in the door.

* * *

Marisol’s brows furrowed under her mask as her arms gripped around his shoulders, as the descended on the collapsing baton back down to street level. They would be in the van within the minute but longer if they stopped to drop off their haul safely into the back.

Will had really outdone himself with the gadgets. She wouldn’t have been able to move in nearly half the time.

But now he was being ridiculously overprotective, worry darkening his eyes behind the mask. 

Frowning, she looked away from his gaze. She had asked for his help for the second pair of eyes and to be used as a decoy, not his protection. She knew how to take care of herself. She had trained for this for years, while he was away at school, stuck behind a desk. Not that she had known at the time that she would use all her physical training for this purpose.

Shaking her head, her eyes scanned the rooftop a moment, spotting the other black cat a few moments too late.

“Will!”

* * *

She had gasped into his ear, barely giving him enough notice to see Chat Noir leaping down off the building.

Will frowned, leaping down the last meter or so and letting the baton finish it’s compression in his hands. The baton itself was pretty heavy, but he could still wield it defensively. 

Marisol had scrambled to his side, looking up as the glowing eyes descended down upon them. 

“Get out of here. Now!”

He heard her feet shuffling but couldn’t afford to look back, not with Chat Noir pouncing towards him.


	9. Chapter 9

Marisol’s eyes scanned the rooftops, her shoulders straightening and her head swiveling as fast as she could manage without making herself sick. If one of them was here, the other couldn’t be far behind. The cat was usually the distraction, after all.

She hated the fact that Will had been right.

She hated the fact that he knew he was right even more. If they managed to get out of here, she just knew he would never let her live it down.

Her fists clenched as she spun around on her heel, shifting her focus as quickly as her eyes could make out against the darkness.

She hated the fact that her worry for him let her grow distracted. He had been little else but kind to her and her abuela and was taking such an incredible risk for them both.

Her jaw set. There was no way she was willing to leave him behind, no matter what crazy risk was considering.

She just needed a plan.

“Well, well. What do we have here?”

Chat pounced closer and then hesitated. He had been so focused on getting here that he hadn’t quite thought so far ahead about how to handle the rogue pair.

“A Copy Chat…” Smile wavering, Chat Noir stood at full height, advancing slowly as he spun his baton.

The Copy Chat gripped his own baton more tightly. His leather costume well assembled but not a perfect copy as he stood at least a few inches taller. Shock clearly warred with determination in his blue eyes.

These two were not an Akuma for certain, every finely honed instinct confirming the as fact at such close range. The man’s vision was slow, not able to follow the speed changes in the baton spin.

Chat Noir extended his baton just to the side of the man’s ear, watching for the delay in the flinch and in the inevitable half step back.

Chat’s lips closed into a tight grimace; even his reflexes were much slower. He wasn’t sure just how much of his own strength he could safely use. He wanted this man caught for sure, to clear their names. But hurting another human, especially when he wasn’t sure if Ladybug’s Lucky Charm would even work since the Akuma were not in play...well that made things substantially more difficult.

All of his powers were just a little too destructive in this case, even if this guy was just the littlest bit taller than him.

Chat Noir’s eyes narrowed on the copycat baton. He had spotted the pair coming down on it which meant it had to be pretty solid to support them both. If he could get this guy to drop it, before Ladybug arrived, it would be easy enough for her to take it from there.

His eyes flickered, as he tested the other side hoping for some sort of reaction, some way to read how the man would telegraph his moves.

He hadn’t expected his copycat’s baton to lift slightly.

But that was little in comparison to his shock as his own baton shorted out when the two baton’s connected, sparking an arc of blue light.

“Huh.” Green eyes widened, his mouth gaping as the failed green lights. “Well, that’s a neat trick.”

Delight danced in blue eyes, as he pushed Chat Noir backwards.

Ladybug spotted the girl on the ground, watching the interaction between Chat Noir and his copy and ducked down below the roofline before she could be spotted in turn.

Her red was only half a shade or so off, but it was fairly well put together. It was clear enough to see why a fuzzy picture might have gotten it all wrong.

As she was more than passingly curious as to how someone had managed to pull off that stitching to allow for that much movement but to fit so well.

Chat was always an effective distraction, but she saw with relief that he had noticed the same thing she had and was pulling his punches accordingly, even if he was still irritated with the pair of them.

This was, after all, more of a mess for the police to clean up. They just had a vested interest in seeing justice carried out to clear their own names. Hawkmoth never remained inactive for too long, and their “time off” would certainly be over soon. For so many reasons, they needed Paris to trust them again.

With a frown, she saw that her double was on the move, sneaking around the edge of the van, looking to even the odds for her own partner. Ladybug couldn’t tell what was in her hands -- or in her mind -- but either way, she didn’t like it.

 

Chat Noir must not have noticed her approach. It looked like he was a little preoccupied, his staff not reacting to his commands for some reason.

Her jaw set, her alert eyes so trained by the miraculous powers that her mind connecting the mental dots even without her Lucky Charm activated.

Flinging out her yo-yo, she waited for the last moment to shout. “Chat Noir! Duck!”

The string shot out, looping around their doppelganger’s legs, Ladybug dove down, swinging in just the right place to dangle the two by their legs atop the lightpost.

“Idiot.” Marisol grimaced struggling against the string, physically pushing him as far as the string would allow. “Why didn’t you get away? You could have gotten away scot free.”

Will scoffed, blue eyes wide and angry. “M--If you didn’t get back to her, this whole exercise is pointless. Why do you think I told you to leave?”

She huffed, as he grabbed his free arm to help stabilize them both against the nauseating swing back and forth. “Do you think I would have just left you here? After all you’ve done for her and for me?”

His lips parted in a sigh. “You really should have.”

Marisol shook her head, adamant, although she instantly regretted the motion. “No way. Wasn’t going to happen.”

“Look.” His eyes locked with hers, those sea blue eyes softening. “You and your Grandmother were more of a family than my own relatives. Grandfather understood that. It's why he brought me all those years ago. Why he left me his home.”

She swallowed audibly, her mouth opening in silent question that remained unasked.

His thumb dragged along her arm, his tongue darting out nervously to drag along his bottom lip. “If I left something happen to either of you, when I could have done something, I would never have been able to forgive myself.”

“Oh.” Her pulse was racing, although she couldn’t be sure that wasn’t just from the blood rushing down into her face. Well that did answer one question, but it left her with one other.

He cleared his throat, awkwardly. “So there is that…”

She darted a curious look over to their young captors, who were watching with poorly veiled interest but seemed happy enough to let them chatter.

“You’re right.” She smiled, leaning in closer. “Of course, that is a lot to take in.”

He blinked back at her, his skin flushing brightly as he nodded. “Right.”

“Lucky for you, I've always been a quick learner.” Her lips curved upwards as she wove her fingers into his hair and bridged the gap between their lips.

Chat Noir turned on his heel at her side. “Well, that just got awkward.”

Ladybug still held fast to the string, but was blushingly giving them a moment’s privacy. Clearly there was a little bit more to the story.

“Unless you’d also fancy a kiss, my Lady.” Chat Noir’s eyebrows waggled ridiculously beneath the mask.

She rolled her eyes, readjusting her grip on the yo-yo string before pushing back on his nose. “No need to confuse the police any more than they already are, Chaton.”

A groan came from behind them at the mention of the police. “Well, that one way to kill the mood.”

Ladybug’s copy cat shook her head fondly. “Well, the girl is right. That’s not a cat, that’s a kitten.”

Chat Noir sputtered, crossing his arms over his chest. “Rude.”

Ladybug snorted, struggling to keep her hold, as she doubled over in a fit of giggles.

“I’m pretty sure they both are kids.”

“Guess we had that part wrong, after all.”

Chat was still shaking his head, as Ladybug’s laughter had finally subsided. “Think we should let them down? I mean, that can’t be good for them.”

Ladybug smiled. “You seem to tolerate it well enough from time to time.”

“Yeah,” he shifted uncomfortably, “but to be fair I also have super powers. Besides, if they tried to escape again, you could catch them again just as quickly.”

Ladybug nodded, glad enough to give her arms a bit of a rest.

While they waited, the copycats had humored their curiosity.

Ladybug pored over their outfits in careful detail, filing away details for her own personal use later. Who knows when a spare Ladybug costume might actually come in handy? Or a set of one for each day of the week…

 

Chat tinkered with Will’s gadgets. It’s super fun, he totally wants one.

He tried not to focus on the pair of them cuddled up together in outfits that all too closely resembled them.

They had heard the short tale of how this was all being done to help the lady’s grandmother. Both Ladybug and Chat Noir felt sorry for the pair, but it was clear that someone needed to reassure the police that Ladybug and Chat Noir were innocent of the thefts. Too many people’s safety relied upon them.

Part out of curiosity and part out of desire to do the right thing, Ladybug tried to set off a Lucky Charm, which did seem to clean up this crime scene.

Office Raincomprix had arrived with another two patrol cars, watching Ladybug swinging out of sight to re-charge. “Ah. Now, which is the real Chat Noir?”

“Sadly,” Chat Noir sighed, gesturing back to where the doppelgangers were cuddled up to one another, sharing a kiss. “Us the real heroes never get to have that much fun.

The Copy Chat chuckled as they both stood up. He ruffled Chat Noir’s hair, winking before he let the police cart them both over to the van, masking still in place. “Patience, kid. She might just surprise you.”

“Of course, Ladybug and Chat Noir were proven to be innocent of all wrong-doing.” Alya triumphantly read the story in class the next day.

Marinette grinned. “Like we knew they both would be.”

Alya fist bumped her. “You know it, girl!”

Chloe rolled her eyes but otherwise was pleasantly silent.

Marinette smirked, blushing slightly when she noticed Adrien smiling up at their antics.

Clearing her throat, Alya continued on. “But it sounds like the actual criminals managed to get away.”

“What?” Marinette leaned over to read with her own eyes.

“On the way to processing, the pair of criminals, who were photographed in a nearly perfect pair of Ladybug and Chat Noir costumes at the scene of the second (attempted) robbery, escaped out of the back of the van, leaving a case of gear and their costumes.”

Marinette gaped. “Unbelievable.”

“Think they’ll be back?” Nino asked.

Surprisingly, it was Adrien who spoke up. “They left their tools and their costumes, right? Something tells me they got what they came here for.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on [Tumblr](http://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Feedback of all forms and re-blogs of the [Tumblr post](http://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/post/164116743029/ladynoir-july-crime-part-9) are greatly appreciated! [Note that the link is for chapter 9, so please read all chapters first if you'd like to avoid spoilers.]


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